Beyond the Task List: A Proposed Integration of Naturalistic Developmental Behavioral Interventions to BCBA Training.

Naturalistic developmental behavioral intervention (NDBI) is firmly rooted in both the science of ABA as well as developmental science. Research indicates that many practicing board certified behavior analysts (BCBAs) are unfamiliar with NDBI models and do not implement these approaches when working with young autistic children (Hampton and Sandbank (4), 875-888, 2022). In this article we align NDBI to the seven dimensions of ABA, describe their compatibility with the ABA service system, and urge community agencies and insurance funders to support NDBI use.

Toward deeper understanding and wide-scale implementation of naturalistic developmental behavioral interventions.

Naturalistic Developmental Behavioral Interventions (NDBIs) are a group of early interventions that use a variety of strategies from applied behavioral and developmental sciences. Although Naturalistic Developmental Behavioral Interventions have been demonstrated effective, Naturalistic Developmental Behavioral Interventions are not implemented on a wide scale within early intervention programs for children on the autism spectrum. Potential reasons likely stem from differing theoretical orientations of developmental and behavioral sciences and practitioners' lack training, knowledge, and support for implementing Naturalistic Developmental Behavioral Interventions.

Adapting parent-focused interventions for diverse caregivers of children with intellectual and developmental disabilities: Lessons learned during global crises.

Parent-focused interventions have been designed to provide training and support to caregivers who are essential in achieving positive outcomes for children with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). In 2020, significant crises, including the COVID-19 pandemic and continued racial tensions, profoundly impacted the livelihood of children with IDD and their families. Many ongoing efforts to address disparities among this population were halted temporarily and required further adaptations.

Tact instruction for children with autism spectrum disorder: A review.

Tacts facilitate social interaction, and a strong tact repertoire can lead to the development of other verbal operants. For children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), the development of a tact repertoire can reduce stereotypical and repetitive language and increase social communication, as functional language may reduce the amount of stereotypical vocal behavior that children engage in. However, teaching tact repertoires to children with ASD that maintain and generalize is difficult.

An Evaluation of Two Tact-Training Procedures on Acquired Tacts and Tacting During Play.

A common practice in tact training is to include a supplemental verbal stimulus (e.g., "What is it?") in addition to the presentation of a nonverbal discriminative stimulus.

Implementing early intensive behavioral intervention in community settings.

Although research shows early intensive behavioral intervention can be very beneficial for children with autism spectrum disorder when delivered in university or private intervention centers, little is known about the best way to provide early intensive behavioral intervention within the broader community. The Michigan State University Early Learning Institute was developed to address challenges with providing early intensive behavioral intervention in community settings, with an emphasis on serving children and families on Medicaid. This short report describes the approach taken by the Early Learning Institute and reports data regarding enrollment and utilization among Medicaid families.

Effects of Joint Video Modeling on Unscripted Play Behavior of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Preschool aged children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have marked deficits in pretend play that impede interactions with typically developing peers in inclusive early childhood settings. This study aimed to teach three young children with ASD to engage in pretend play behaviors with their peers. A multiple probe across participants experimental design was used to evaluate the effects of joint video modeling on scripted and unscripted verbalizations and scripted and unscripted play actions of children with ASD.

Brief Report: Effects of Video-Based Group Instruction on Spontaneous Social Interaction of Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorders.

Four adolescents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) were taught to interact with peers by asking social questions or commenting about others during game play or group activities. Participants were shown a video model and then given an opportunity to perform the social behavior depicted in the model when playing a game with one another. All participants demonstrated an increase in both social interaction skills, replicating previous research on video-based group instruction for adolescents with ASD.

Synergy between sphingosine 1-phosphate and lipopolysaccharide signaling promotes an inflammatory, angiogenic and osteogenic response in human aortic valve interstitial cells.

Given that the bioactive lipid sphingosine 1-phosphate is involved in cardiovascular pathophysiology, and since lipid accumulation and inflammation are hallmarks of calcific aortic stenosis, the role of sphingosine 1-phosphate on the pro-inflammatory/pro-osteogenic pathways in human interstitial cells from aortic and pulmonary valves was investigated. Real-time PCR showed sphingosine 1-phosphate receptor expression in aortic valve interstitial cells. Exposure of cells to sphingosine 1-phosphate induced pro-inflammatory responses characterized by interleukin-6, interleukin-8, and cyclooxygenase-2 up-regulations, as observed by ELISA and Western blot.

Lipopolysaccharide and sphingosine-1-phosphate cooperate to induce inflammatory molecules and leukocyte adhesion in endothelial cells.

Given that TLRs and sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) are key players in inflammation, we explored the potential interplay between TLRs and S1P in the adhesion/inflammatory pathways in primary human endothelial cells. As determined by Western blot and flow cytometry, cells treated with LPS (a TLR4 ligand) and S1P showed significantly enhanced expression of adhesion molecules such as ICAM-1 and E-selectin compared with the effect of either ligand alone. Cell-type differences on E-selectin upregulation were observed.

Viral and bacterial patterns induce TLR-mediated sustained inflammation and calcification in aortic valve interstitial cells.

Background: Aortic stenosis shares some ethiopathological features with atherosclerosis and increasing evidence links Toll-like receptors (TLRs) to atherogenesis.

Methods: TLR-mediated inflammation and osteogenesis were investigated in human interstitial cells isolated from stenotic and non-stenotic aortic valves. TLR expression and signalling were evaluated by quantitative RT-PCR, flow cytometry, Western blot analysis, ELISA, and cytokine arrays.

Selective attenuation of Toll-like receptor 2 signalling may explain the atheroprotective effect of sphingosine 1-phosphate.

Aims: Vascular inflammation is a major atherogenic factor and Toll-like receptor (TLR) 2 ligands, including bacterial and serum lipoproteins, seem to be involved in atherogenesis. On this basis, we analysed the effect of lipoproteins and different lipid components on TLR2-dependent signalling.

Methods And Results: In TLR2-transfected human embryonic kidney 293 cells and human monocytes, oxidized low-density lipoproteins inhibited nuclear factor (NF)-kappaB-driven transcriptional activity and chemokine gene expression in response to TLR2 ligands.

Francisella tularensis LPS induces the production of cytokines in human monocytes and signals via Toll-like receptor 4 with much lower potency than E. coli LPS.

Francisella tularensis is a virulent Gram-negative intracellular pathogen. To address the signaling routes involved in the response of host cells to LPS from F. tularensis live vaccine strain (LVS), experiments were performed in transiently transfected 293 cells.

Utility of an immunocapture-agglutination test and an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay test against cytosolic proteins from Brucella melitensis B115 in the diagnosis and follow-up of human acute brucellosis.

The utility of an immunocapture-agglutination (Brucellacapt, Vircell SL, Granada, Spain) test and an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay IgG, IgA, and IgM (ELISA-IgG, ELISA-IgA, ELISA-IgM) against cytosolic proteins from Brucella melitensis B115 (R) was compared with ELISA-IgG, ELISA-IgA, and ELISA-IgM against smooth lipopolysaccharide (S-LPS) from B. melitensis 16M (S), serum agglutination test (SAT), and Coombs test in the diagnosis and follow-up for 10 months of 51 patients with acute brucellosis. The sensitivities of ELISA tests against cytosolic proteins varied from 49.

Seroepidemiologic study of Leishmania infantum infection in Castilla-Leon, Spain.

Leishmaniasis has increased in importance in recent years because infection with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) has emerged as a risk factor for this disease. However, the actual prevalence of leishmaniasis in the general population of Spain is unknown. We present a study of the seroprevalence of infection with Leishmania infantum in the general population of Castilla-Leon, Spain.

A new pharmacological effect of salicylates: inhibition of NFAT-dependent transcription.

The anti-inflammatory effects of salicylates, originally attributed to inhibition of cyclooxygenase activity, are currently known to involve additional mechanisms. In this study we investigated the possible modulation by salicylates of NFAT-mediated transcription in lymphocytic and monocytic cell lines. RNase protection assays showed that 2-acetoxy-4-trifluoromethylbenzoic acid (triflusal) inhibited, in a dose-dependent manner, mRNA expression of several cytokine genes, most of which are NFAT-regulated and cyclosporin A (CsA)-sensitive.

Interaction of endotoxins with Toll-like receptor 4 correlates with their endotoxic potential and may explain the proinflammatory effect of Brucella spp. LPS.

Endotoxins displaying differences in the chemical structure of their lipid A were used to induce the expression of chemokines in the human monocytic THP-1 cell line. LPS from two enterobacterial species such as Escherichia coli and Yersinia enterocolitica induced mRNA expression of IFN-gamma-inducible protein (IP)-10, macrophage-inflammatory protein (MIP)-1alpha, MIP-1beta, monocyte chemoattractant protein (MCP)-1 and IL-8. LPS from the non-enterobacterial genera Brucella and Ochrobactrum induced the expression of these chemokines to a lower extent.

[Seroprevalence of infection due to Echinococcus granulosus in the population of Castilla and León (Spain)].

Introduction: Human hydatidosis is a prevalent zoonotic disease in the Castilla y León region of Spain. The aim of this study is to investigate the seroprevalence of Echinococcus granulosus infection in this region.

Methods: We studied 4824 serum samples from a random, representative population of healthy individuals from each province of Castilla y León, obtained over one year.

Serologic evidence of human infection by Francisella tularensis in the population of Castilla y León (Spain) prior to 1997.

Prior to an outbreak in Castilla y León in December 1997, tularaemia was practically non-existent in Spain. In this paper we studied the prevalence of antibodies against Francisella tularensis in a representative sample of the population (4825 people) from Castilla y León (Spain) in samples collected before this outbreak. Antibodies against F.

[Prevalence of antibodies against Francisella tularensis in Castilla y León (Spain) before 1997].

Background And Objectives: The aim of this paper was determine the prevalence of antibodies against Francisella tularensis in the representative sample of people from Castilla-León (Spain) before epidemic outbreak of end 1997.

Subjects And Method: We obtain 4,825 sera (between april-1996 and april-1997) of people from Castilla-León. All sera were tested by a microagglutination technique to detect antibodies against Francisella tularensis.